Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Mr Beard's night. Paid chorus singers 4 nights in Faustus #3 15s. 10d. (Account Book) [This was a clear' benefit as indicated by an item in the Account Book for 15 Dec.: Paid Mr Beard the total amount of the house on the 1st inst. as per agreement #234 14s. 6d.'] Receipts: #234 14s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Paid George Garrick #50; Paid Mr Guy (plumber) #53 15s.; Mr Debrose, (linen draper) #20 11s. 6d.; Scott (copper lace) bill #158 15s. 6d.; Hewetson (silver lace) bill #42 8s.; Gastrill (mercer) 2 bills, #227 2s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #196 2s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Being the Last time of performing till the Holidays. Paid Mr Stamford the Balance due to the Lock Hospital the 22nd Inst. #11 3s. Paid Mr Wright balance due Middlesex Hospital 18th Inst. #49 19s. (Account Book). Receipts: #137 19s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Account-Book, 22 Sept.: Paid Renters' Interest #8 [this paid daily]. Receipts: #158 2s. (129.17; 26.16; 1.9)

Event Comment: This comic opera of two acts [Padlock] was written by Mr Bickerstaffe and is a very compleat, pretty piece,--the music very striking.--Mrs Dorman was hissed at first, but the piece went off very well, and much applauded (Hopkins Diary). New Scenes, Dresses, Music and other Decorations. Doors opened at half past 4. Play to begin exactly at 6 o'clock. [A three column retelling of the plot of the padlock appeared in Lloyd's Evening Post, for Oct. 5-7.

Event Comment: "Had Mr Bannister, sen (whose merit as a singer is pre-eminent) never played any other character than that of Caliban, he would, by so capital, so unique, so unparalleled a performance, have deserved to be ranked with the foremost" (Jonson, ed. Waldron, 178). Receipts: #182 15s. (145.11; 36.2; 1.2)

Event Comment: Boxes #23 15s. Paid Mr Forrest Sr, in full his bill ending Nov. last #97 10s. Paid Wilkinson on account #50. Paid Bingley two bills for wax candles #9 14s. Paid Bosworth a bill for Mrs Latter's Board for 8 weeks. #1 16s. (Account Book). Receipts: #116 6s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Egerton. Afterpiece: Not acted in 3 years. [See 3 April 1769.] [Genest in Volume of News Clippings (Harvard Library) quotes Edinburg Evening Courant of 29 April: Last night between the play and the farce at Drury Lane Theatre, a disturbance arose which continued for a full hour. Mr Weston it appeared was in debt to the managers a considerable sum of money, on which account they had impounded all the cash received on his benefit night. This the comedian did not like, and therefore yesterday evening sent word that he could not play, that he was arrested and detained in a springing house, but desired that no apology should be made of his being 'suddenly ill' (the usual stage plea) as it would be an egregious falsehood. After the play Mr Vernon came forward and inform'd the audience that Mr Weston 'was suddenly taken ill' and could not perform. Weston instantly started up in the front of the upper Gallery, and inform'd the house that he was not ill, but in the custody of an officer, and if the audience would have patience he'd inform them of the whole affair. A long altercation ensued. The Managers sent on Mr Vernon repeatedly; and after much pro and con Weston came down and played his part of Sneak." The article must have referred to the 24th of April, when Weston play'd Sneak in The Mayor of Garratt. The Managers promis'd the Town a publication of the whole affair."] Paid Mr Brathwait for men's cloaths #33s. Receipts: #200 8s. Charges: #70 12s. Profit to Mrs Egerton: #129 16s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Sethona Publish'd. Note of Hand deferr'd Dodd ill (Winston MS 10). Paid Mr F. Aickin's joint note with Mr J. Aickin #4 10s.; Mr Everard (late Cape) a debt & Costs #3 18s.; Mr Highley on acct #200; Mr Hopkins, Licence for Note of Hand & Sethona, #4 4s.; Miss P. Hopkins 1 night 5s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #239 13s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 12 years. [See 24 Jan. 1758.] Prologue written by Paul Whitehead. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. First Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Mr Sarjant (only) at the Stage-Door. No persons can be admitted behind scenes, nor any Money returned after curtain is drawn up. To begin exactly at 6 o'clock. [Customary note in succeeding bills.] Receipps: #190 14s. (Account Book). @The New Occasional Prologue@As when the merchant to increase his store@For Dubious seas, advent'rous quits the shore;@Still anxious for his freight, he trembling sees@Rocks in each buoy, and tempest in each breeze@The curling wave to mountain billow swells,@And every cloud a fancied storm fortells:@Thus rashly launch'd on this Theatric main,@Our All on board, each phantom gives Us pain;@The Aatcall's note seems thunder in our ears,@And every Hiss a hurricane appears;@In Journal Squibs we lightning's blast espy,@And meteors blaze in every Critic's eye.@Spite of these terrors, still come hopes we view,@Hopes, ne'er can fail us--since they're plac'd--in you.@Your breath the gale, our voyage is secure,@And safe the venture which your smiles insure;@Though weak his skill, th' adventurer must succeed,@Where Candour takes th' endeavor for the deed.@For Brentford's state, two kings could once suffice;@In ours, behold! four kings of Brentford rise;@All smelling to one nosegay's od'rous savor@The balmy nosegay of--the Public favor.@From hence alone, our royal funds we draw,@Your pleasure our support, your will our law.@While such our government, we hope you'll own us;@But should we ever Tyrant prove--dethrone us.@Like Brother Monarchs, who, to coax the nation@Began their reign, with some fair proclamation,@We too should talk at least--of reformation;@Declare that during our imperial sway,@No bard shall mourn his long-neglected Play;@But then the play must have some wit, some spirit,@And We allow'd sole umpires of its merit.@For those deep sages of the judging Pit,@Whose taste is too refin'd for modern wit,@From Rome's great Theatre we'll cull the piece,@And plant on Britain's stage the flow'rs of Greece.@If some there are, our British Bards can please,@Who taste the ancient wit of ancient days,@Be our's to save, from Time's devouring womb,@Their works, and snatch their laurels from the tomb.@For you, ye Fair, who sprightlier scenes may chuse,@Where Music decks in all her airs the Muse,@Gay Opera shall all its charms dispense,@Yet boast no tuneful triumph over sense;@The nobler Bard shall still assert his right,@Nor Handel rob a Shakespear of his night,@To greet the mortal brethren of our skies [upper galleries]@Here all the Gods of Pantomime shall rise:@Yet midst the pomp and magic of machines,@Some plot may mark the meaning of our scenes;@Scenes which were held, in good King Rich's days,@By sages, no bad epilogues to plays.@If terms like these your suffrage can engage,@To fix our mimic empire of the stage;@Confirm our title in your fair opinions,@And crowd each night to people our dominions.@--(Poems and Miscelaneous Compositions, Ed. Capt. Edward Thompson, 1777) Covent Garden opened with the Rehearsal with alterations. I was in the Pit. Powell, from Drury Lane, one of the new managers who have bought the patent from Rich's heirs, spoke an occasional Prologue. Shuter did Bayes pretty much to my liking, adding many crochets of his own.... Entertainment The Mock Doctor,...Young Jasper pretty well by one Massey, being his first appearance on that stage (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: By Authority of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Stewart and Walker. Mainpiece [1st time; PAST 5]: Done into English, from the Original of Allan Ramsay, by Cornelius Vanderstop, Esq. As it has long been the Desire of the Nobility and Gentry to have this celebrated Piece performed in English, the Gentleman who has undertaken this ardent Task hopes it will give Satisfaction to the Public in general. [Text 1st published For the Author, 1777.] Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by James Stewart. Authors of Prologues unknown.]. The Doors to be opened at 5:00. To begin at 6:00. No Persons whatever to be admitted behind the Scenes, nor any Money returned after the Curtain is drawn up. Ladies are desired to send their Servants by Five to keep Places. Tickets to be had at the Edinburgh Coffee-house and Jamaica Coffee-house, Cornhill; the St. Andrew, Wapping; and of Walker, No. 4, New Round Court, Strand

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Baker and Murray. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30. The Public are respectfully apprized that every Exertion will be used to render the Evening's Entertainment worthy their Patronage and Support

Event Comment: 1st piece [1st time; PREL 1, by Richard Cumberland. Larpent MS 958; not published]. Without insisting on the great Expence that has been incurred in re-building this Theatre (in the erecting of which no other Object has been attempted but the greater ease, safety and accomodation of the Spectators) it appears upon the Books that the Annual Disbursements of the past Seasons have gradually been encreasing from Year to Year, under the Direction of the present Proprietor, to nearly the sum of #10,000 per Annum more than the usual Expenditure of any of his Predecessors; it is therefore trusted the Necessity of the following small Advancement of the Prices of Admission to the Boxes and the Pit will be sufficiently apparent to the Justice of that Public whose Liberality has never yet been doubted. E. Barlow, Treasurer. Boxes 6s. 2nd Price 3s. Pit 3s. 6d. 2nd Price 2s. Gallery 2s. 2nd Price 1s. No Money to be returned. The Office for taking Places for the Boxes is removed to Hart-street. The principal new Entrance to the Boxes is from the Great Portico in Bow-street; from the Small Portico are Entrances to the Pit and Gallery only. In the Old Passage from the Piazza are new Entrances to the Boxes, Pit, and Gallery. Carriages coming to Bow-street Entrances are desired to set down and take up with the Horses' Heads towards Hart-street. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [see 12 Nov.]. [The audience objected vociferously to the increased prices of admission and to the absence of a 2nd gallery (and see under 19 Sept.). "The Prelude passed off without a syllable of it being heard...Two acts of The Road to Ruin displayed the performers' skill in pantomime, for not a word was heard...The Irishman in London then walked over the stag amidst the same riot and confusion which attended the preceding pieces" (Times, 18 Sept.).] Receipts: none listed

Event Comment: [The BM Burney Collection (937. c. 10) contains a receipted bill from T. Lowndes for printing throughout this week: playbills nightly #1 12s. 6d.; 100 half price cards 2s.; 200 half-sheet office accts. 8s., totalling #10 5d.] Receipts: #272 4s. (226.8; 44.12; 1.4)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By Permssion of the Manager of the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. The Overture and Music by Dr Arnold. Powell: Children in the Wood rehearsed at 10 (Bannister, Dignum, Mrs Powell, Mrs Bland absent); No Song No Supper at 11 (for Starace, Kelly, Leak, Dignum, Sedgwick); Distressed Mother at 12. Receipts: #385 7s. (310/1/6; 64/10/6; 10/15/0)